456 MANUAL FOR YOUNG SPORTSMEN. 



Hence, instead of fishing the water under his feet, he will 

 throw his flies so as to take the edge next his own bank at 

 the length of his line ; and will thus successively throw 

 over all on his side long before his person is seen ; and 

 when he brings his flies up to within 10 or 12 feet of 

 where he is standing, he may lift them, because he has 

 already well tried that portion of the water. But besides 

 the excellence in throwing the fly, there is also a great art 

 in striking and hooking the fish exactly at the right time, 

 and with the proper degree of force. When the trout 

 rises at the fly, which may always be seen by the angler, 

 the rod should be raised with a motion upwards of the 

 wrist only, avoiding, as far as the excitement of the mo- 

 ment will permit, all shoulder or elbow-work, and using 

 just such a degree of wrist-action as may be judged will 

 fasten so sharp an implement as the hook in so soft a sub- 

 stance as the mouth of the trout. Theoretically this may 

 easily be estimated, but practically it will be found that 

 the tyro generally jerks hard enough to strike a blunt 

 hook deep into the jaws of a shark or dolphin. The object 

 of striking at all, is to prevent the fish from having time to 

 discover his mistake, the natural consequence of which 

 would be to " blow out " the fly from his mouth. The fly- 

 fisher, therefore, waits till the moment when the fly is 

 actually within the lips of his victim, and then, with a 

 gentle, yet rapid wrist-action, he fixes the hook there. 

 This is much more easily done with a light single-handed 

 rod than with one used by both hands, and hence it is 

 advisable for this reason, as well as on account of the 

 greater facilities in casting with it, to limit the young 



